Trump voters chose ‘the economy' over confronting ‘white supremacy’: Michael Eric Dyson

'Long Time Coming' author, Michael Eric Dyson joins 'Influencers with Andy Serwer' to discuss President Trumps record on racial issues.

Video Transcript

ANDY SERWER: 74 million people voted for Donald Trump. And let's assume some good intent here, that not all those people are racist people. There's an entire spectrum of those people.

MICHAEL ERIC DYSON: Sure.

ANDY SERWER: In fact, a great majority of them would probably characterize themselves as not being racist. And yet, they're probably not on the same page as you.

MICHAEL ERIC DYSON: Right.

ANDY SERWER: How do you talk to them?

MICHAEL ERIC DYSON: Well, there are a couple of things. First of all, you want to treat all human beings with respect and dignity, even if they disagree with you vehemently. You want to presume good intent and motive, even if you think they're in the embrace of some bigotry or hatred. So you still treat them with decency and respect.

Black folk ain't had a problem with that. When I look at the history of this country, Black people have dealt with their oppressors in an astonishingly generous and gracious fashion. Look, you can go into a church and kill nine Black people. And before their bodies are cold, Black people will talk about their forgiveness.

That's our track record. That's what we do. We ain't seen that on the other side. Where is the comparable expression of white embrace, even of untoward Black forces?

Now, if many white people see a parallel, problematically so, between the killing of nine Black people in a church and arguing about defunding the police-- ludicrous as it may sound, let's just say that's what your parallel is-- where's the graciousness? Where is the, like, we understand? Given the fact that so many Black people have died, we certainly want to make good with our social practices in reforming our police departments because it has hurt and harmed Black people.

No such luck. No such love. So as the both siders argument misses out when both sides are not equally involved. The old story of the pig and the chicken having a conversation going down the road, let's make a contribution to breakfast.

Fine. All the chicken has to do is lay an egg. The pig has to give up his ass. He's got to die in order to make a contribution. They ain't equal, dog.

So the reality is is that we're dealing with pigs and chickens. We're dealing with unparalleled experiences that are demanding of both sides' response. And it's problematic. But let me answer your question directly.

Having said all that, it is important for us to understand. We don't have to demonize all the folks on the other side, 74 million people. But we have to say, come on, y'all. You know what the dude was doing. You know what he was about.

So for you to say, oh, I'm not interested in that part. He's an elephant. He's a political elephant. I took the part of lower taxes. I took the part of better for the economy.

But what you're saying is, too bad that, in the process of me getting that, you have to deal with racism, you have to deal with white nationalism, and you have to deal with white supremacy as the cost of it. No skin off of my back. Sorry, but that's what it is.

At that level, you've got to say, come on, Americans. We got to deal with the consequence of that and your complicity in the system. Whether you are intentionally racist or not, you benefit from that racist system.